Eating halwa on Sunday is a ritual for my household, whether we go to the Hindu temple or have breakfast at home. It felt incomplete without suji ka halwa (semolina pudding) or badam halwa (almond pudding). But… I also love myself an Almond Croissant in a little cafe with a strong cup of coffee. And that’s how this croissant was born! As an Indo-American immigrant, I grew up with wild fusion foods that my mom came up with in the kitchen. And thankfully, she’s passed that on to me. The classic almond filling of a French bakery almond croissant is infused with the flavors of rich ghee and luxurious saffron and green cardamom that we love in Indian desserts. When you bite into the buttery croissant, you’ll close your eyes and taste the flavors of a classic Indian badam halwa. This recipe for eggless almond croissant with an Indian twist is adapted from what I learned when I spent a few days in a bakery photographing for a client.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
What is Halwa?
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
Croissants - It’s best to use drier croissants that are a day old. This recipe works for 8 small to medium-sized croissants, or 6 jumbo-sized croissants like the ones you get from Costco. Almond Flour - You can make your own almond flour by grinding blanched almonds without the skins until it’s a flour like consistency. Be careful not to make it into an almond paste. Otherwise, you can purchase blanched almond flour or almond meal from a grocery store. I prefer blanched almond flour for a lighter, finer grain over almond meal which was ground with the almond skin still on. Sliced Almonds - For topping the croissant. Whole Milk - Whole milk is the best option for a rich almond cream. We use it in place of eggs, which are more typical for almond cream for almond croissants. Sugar - We use granulated sugar for both the saffron cardamom sugar syrup and in the almond cream. Use confectioners’ sugar, or powdered sugar, to lightly dust the top of the croissants. Salt - Balances and enhances the flavor of the almond filling. We only need a little pinch. Ghee - Ghee is clarified butter and a fan favorite for Indians. It makes desserts super rich with its fat content. Cardamom and Saffron - These are our two spices that we use to make our almond cream taste exactly like badam halwa.
How to make Almond Croissants
1. Prep and Saffron Cardamom Syrup
2. Making the Almond Cream
3. Assembling the Almond Croissants
4. Serving the Croissants
Allow the croissants to cool to room temperature. This is important before dusting them with confectioners’ sugar, otherwise the sugar will melt!
It’s a great way to refresh and use any leftover croissants that you may have. They’re an ideal Sunday breakfast, a fancy brunch item to treat your mom for Mother’s Day, or served to the family for Christmas breakfast. The eggless almond filling gives you all the flavors of badam halwa using the cardamom, saffron, and rich ghee without having to make it stovetop.
Some halwas to try are Suji ka Halwa (semolina-based), Gajar ka Halwa (carrots), and Kaddu ka Halwa (pumpkin). This recipes uses all of the base ingredients of a badam (almond) halwa - almond flour, ghee, sugar, milk, saffron, and green cardamom. But, instead of cooking it on the stove into a pudding, the base ingredients are mixed into an almond cream. Start off by making a saffron cardamom syrup, which is not your typical 1:1 of water to sugar for a simple syrup. Rather, we are using ½ cup of water and ¼ cup of sugar since the almond cream already has sugar added. We’re just looking to rehydrate and soften the day old croissants a bit. Bring the water to a boil and add the sugar. Stir the sugar until melted. Lightly crush the green cardamom pods, and then add them into the syrup. Rub the saffron in the palm of your hands to break it into smaller pieces. Do this over the pan so it falls directly into the syrup. Bring the heat down to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the syrup from heat. Optionally, stir in rosewater at this point. Allow the syrup to cool and come to room temperature. Vigorously whisk together the cream for 3 minutes to break apart any lumps of almond flour. If it’s too thick, add another tablespoon of whole milk. The end result will be a textured thick yet spreadable almond cream mixture. Transfer the almond cream to a piping bag. If you didn’t use a wide enough saucepan, feel free to use a pastry brush to brush the syrup on. Close each croissant and lightly press it together to make sure both sides adhere with the help of the cream in the middle. Pipe an additional tablespoon of almond cream on the top. Bake the croissants in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes, or until the sliced almonds are toasted and the almond cream has lightly browned. Remove the sheet pan from the oven. They’d be so good to enjoy paired with a Cardamom Chai in the morning. I like adding a few edible rose petals for an extra pop of color as well.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
More Breakfast Treats to try
Recipe
However, I’ve been able to successfully store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Pop them in the microwave for 15 seconds to revitalize them. The middle gets a little gooey and it’s so delicious. To defrost frozen almond croissants, leave them at room temperature overnight. I have also successfully warmed them up in 2 30-second intervals in the microwave. I’d love to know what you thought of this recipe! Don’t forget to leave a comment and ⭐️ star rating below! Thinking about making this recipe? Enter your email and I’ll send it straight to your inbox to save for later. Plus, get new recipe inspiration from me every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Masala and Chai.
